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Got my offsiders first set of PPE, shame the smallest size is a 4, apparently babies don’t go beekeeping 😆

Crimson clover seed is planted Now wait and see

I hope the information helps. While I am very encouraged by my experiences so far I am aware that I am really a novice user so please don't take what I say as gospel! I am simply sharing my experiences to date.

My very clever niece has this to say about plant based proteins and milk based proteins. Scary stuff I knew nothing about. https://tinyurl.com/tednz

Update The vets nuc is looking really good . The queen has laid out 2 part frames and has been constricted by syrup feeding , in 5 days . They’ve built wax all under the hivemat. Queen marked . The second queen was spotted dead outside the hive . The bees have fully removed all the dead bees. There was no need to give them a frame of brood, instead , they got a new plastic frame to draw with the last of the syrup in the feeder. This will be drawn and laid in by next week I’d think.

I mark queens whenever I come across an unmarked one as it makes them easier to find again. I make splits for various reason quite often throughout the season so finding queens is essential. Anything that makes them easier to find is worth doing in my opinion. I also supply nucleus colonies and some queens to hobbyists, often people new to beekeeping and marked queens makes it easier for them to spot their queen/s. I mark queens by picking them up and holding their thorax between my thumb and index finger, then putting a dot of paint on the thorax. Handling queens can be quite daunting and takes a bit of getting used to. To work out how much pressure to use the easiest thing is to practice on drones. No big deal if you accidentally squash one and they cannot sting.

Just a note that two of the people in that article work for companies that have a joint venture for growing manuka plantations, so they have a vested interest in promoting to land owners that plantations are the future of the manuka industry.

Here's my worse Hive of the day. I opened it for the first time today since it was treated 5 April 19 and the treatments shown have been in over winter. Id guess that along with the rest of the site its found a collapsing wild Hive/swarm somewhere and ended up with a count of 30/400. Another 3 in the site had counts of 25, 20, 15. Two other sites, each within 250m had counts of 0,1,2's today when they got their first Spring treatments. (3 months late). This Hive did have a couple of DWV Bees but the Brood was in slabs and mint condition.

Actually, as stated above some of us don't know who to believe, so I think this forms a further category. But as a professional procrastinator I'd agree that what I read here will probably not bring me to a final decision. My stance is probably not to poison unless it really works and much like AFB I don't see it being eradicated in my life time based on what I observe. In the 'against' list, I include the ineffective results against rats who breed faster than what we are trying to preserve and the inhumane agonising death confirmed by the SPCA that no living thing should be subject. In the 'for' list, we have killing possums and a feeling that the ends justify the means and at least we are doing something. But the reality is that possums and Wallabies are in Australia and they do not seem to have wiped out all forests. So, we have this binary view of all introduced species being bad and all native species being good. To underline this point there are some environmental people who say that as the western honey bee is an introduced species it too should be under more control as it is affecting our native bird populations access to nectar. So, making the most of the honey bee and given our fairly ineffective results at eradicating anything, wouldn't it be better to look at all living things equally rather than having a good and bad list? Maybe we could put the 1080 budget into understanding Kauri die back and/or indeed for cancer medicines that the rest of the world gives to their people. My mum died of bowel cancer the second time around. I'm not sure if I could ever have rats on the good list sitting beside native birds, so putting money into a 'Vespex for rats' product would be nice, but 1080 isn't that product so far as I can see.

If that's the case, then it will be 100% brood pattern with a great temperament, hygienic traits and excellent hive production! No photo required! 10 x 10 cells capped brood = 100 Whoops, of course there is a photo, under my moniker!

Yes, oil based paint. Doesn't have any negative impact on queens. Have plenty of queens where it never wears off, some where it does...

Once upon a time , I read that OA in syrup was a good cure for Nosema. At the time , I tried it on my observation hive as they were low on population and looked like they needed a boost . They were well used to being fed syrup little and often via an upturned jam jar . They literally wolfed down the first third of the jar, and wouldn’t touch it after that . Further to that , they wouldn’t touch fresh syrup either . They learn for sure . I can’t remember what the brood did though

Thankyou for your reply .Good to have you along . I’ve always found the WDC very good to deal with with the occasional questions I ask of them . For what it’s worth , I’m pleased you are reviewing your beehive policy , particularly in light that it’s not actually enforced . It is important to know where beehives are and moving forward , perhaps some communication with The Management Agency would be a good idea . That way, any bee complaints made to the WDC could be forwarded to The Management Agency to be dealt with by them . Thos would save on double handling , double fees, and the right department would be hearing about it . Unregistered hives are more of a problem than having to apply for a consent to keep bees That’s how I see it anyway .

A rob out is when a hive has died of AFB and there are no stores left in the hive. Usually the cells are damaged as in a normal rob out. Scale may or may not be in the frames, it depends on how long it has been dried for. It takes a fair while for the grubs to descciate. Yes, any dead grub will still be in the cells as they are stuck to the cell wall. There will usually be old capped cells with AFB larvae under the caps. These later dry out (desiccate).

I was surprised to hear the woman from Tasmanian Blue Hills Honey was able to send their honey to a Lab in Hamilton for testing to see if it fit the MPI standard . i would have thought it would have been destroyed and reported because it’s illegal to import honey into NZ .

No, he's just pointing out an example of an un-anticipated consequence.

And we're off... three pumpkins (and one sweetcorn!) bravely braving the bracing spring weather. With a load of TLC and some warmer weather, we hope for a bountiful crop of many large and tasty pumpkins. And one square one.

Pollination rounds. A bit of tape to warn you .. surprise! I am putting on some megabee. Not sure how it will help, bees enjoy it tho. Bit of an arm wrestle with the machine, you know it's about right when we it turns into a merry go round

I only breed my own now, have tried a few different suppliers including the above mentioned and I was'nt really overwelmed either. The OP did mention Dallas, who I assume is Dallas Russ of Lion Apiaries, any stand out Queens I have now I can trace back to this supplier. They are very good queens from this guy ,two thumbs up👍👍

There used to be Gerrad Springs in Great South Rd, they make all sorts of springs, now they are called CMI Springs, address 7A Carmont Place, Mt Wgtn.

Too true I have four apiaries , hive numbers ranging from 2 to 9 at the moment . They are contained with in a 3 km radius and you would think the bees have access to the same forage . Well, the most certainly don’t . Year in year out , there are vast differences in performance, which also affects mite numbers affecting them and their ability to withstand mites long and short term . The Main difference is forage

It's quite a few years since of had to get a fire permit and last time it was just a matter of talking to someone and explaining the problem and I was told that the permit would be in the post but go ahead and burn it right now. That is commonsense. It's raining today and would be perfect but no I have applied for a permit but and specifically forbidden from burning until such time as the permit arrives. They obviously know all about beehives because they are one of the multiple choice answers. If I had found the hive on Sunday I could have burned it with the controlled fire season coming in yesterday. Unfortunately town has moved out on two sides of me and with the black smoke from burning polystyrene boxes I'm sure someone would report me. It's not that you can't get a permit as they normally grant them unless fire danger is extreme is just that you tend to miss out on the best time and best day . If fire danger is extreme there is normally no problem getting a permit to safely store the AFB until such time as it can be burnt. One of the problems with storing AFB hives is that when they have honey on them the petrol often dissolves some of the wax which means honey runs out on the floor over time. The hives can also become infected with wax moth and some sort of fruitfly which must be some risk for spreading infection. It may be that using an insecticide to kill the bees would alleviate a lot of those problems. There has been talk for years of having centrally placed incinerators for AFB destruction which would solve a lot of problems but nothing has ever come of it.

I'll be heading south Christmas, happy to meet up I would not expect to waste a whole day of yours but would certainly appreciate a chat and maybe open a few hives, but appreciate you will be a busy man. Right now all i know is you are Stoney on NZBees. Beyond that I don't know who you are or where you are. How about shoot me a text with your contact details to 027 4725 914

Yes i put staples in the extra boxes so probably overdosed for the amount of actual bees. Today i checked a site that a while back had big strong hives that were good enough to take packages off at a couple of kilos a hive, today the hives have shrunk to a fistful of bees, and I'm writing that site off for any honey production this season i'll be happy just to get them in good shape for winter. I think i overdosed plus had treatment in too long, I'm now convinced oxalic can hurt the bees and it's super important not to overdose.

It's hard to imagine anything much happening.

No such rule. A swarm will stay where you put it.

Oh I remove supercedure cells in swarm season all the way up to the honey flow . You are correct not to trust them

Governor Grey introduced the wallabies, and like typical Aussies, quickly got out of hand. Last I heard there were non left. Those that started the poisoning were strongly and invisibly supported by DOC I believe, as eradication was the only way to green up the island. As a brown one, it was a huge fire waiting to happen, with no reticulated water to fight it. The bird life was stunning five years later - both weka and kereru in abundance, I often saw several kereru at a time - and that was just on one six acre block.

Just got back in. Been out with my 16 yr old daughter and she shot one big pest. Protecting the clover for the bees and saving the need for tax payers money to buy more 1080. We just need to get out an shoot more. Easy.

Kawau Island is a prime example of just what can be achieved with baiting - in that case wallabies and possum. When I started sailing, whole island was brown - dead and dying trees, all native and then the non latte lot started fencing their weekend properties 2 metres high with wire netting, and as the walkways had always provided access to all the private properties they crossed, so the yachtie lot put in gates with weights and pulleys so they automatically closed. Of those that were longterm residents without the means, the townies subsidised the missing bits. Within five years, island was lush green. Best bit was when DOC captured some of the wallabies and sold them back to the Aussies - bonus!

On what evidence do you base that statement?? When possum numbers were through the roof 30 years ago the number of huge dead trees would tend to suggest if left to their devices possums would have completely decimated all NZ native bush.

Have you switched any of the boxes around yet? Often there is very little laid up brood in bottom box as it has all hatched - if that is the case, that box needs to be at the top for the queen to fill up.

The mites may be gone but the viruses linger. I also think when a hive has a high mite load the Queen is then no good and should be replaced.

Dennis are you sure of those figures? I think they may be a little light. Probably 35000 ha of fruit that requires pollination, then Some vegetables (squash alone around 6000) and seed crops significant particularly in Canterbury. I’d be guessing between 40000 and 50000 now. Has APINZ managed to quantify the value of honeybees to NZ pastoral farming or if not, do they have any plans too? Seems to me that updated figures around this could be a useful political tool for the future

If you need some AFB detection work done you need to email Richelle at queenbee@farmside.co.nz . Two dogs doing the traps at the moment. The first of the queen cells go out today .....with a very short window of opportunity for mating on the w/e ..... We've organised a nice sheltered yard with eighty or so dead hives . The polys will go down on to the tin lids , get strapped on to stop them blowing away and will hopefully benefit from the heat bouncing back off the lids. Good mating seems to be proportional to the heat inside the hive .....

There are some big differences between the kiwifruit growers and beekeepers The government passed laws sometime back that only Zespri could export kiwifruit (Turners to Oz) In the beekeeping industry its dog eat dog, long knifes and flaming arrows Until the government mandates a single desk seller for honey it is no point comparing 2 different industry structures The first thing to sort out is the industry politics and from that will flow the research

Dave what you can see are play cups, the bees create these when they are beginning to think about swarming. If they are empty, all good, but you definitely need another box on top or they are likely to swarm. With the play cups the next step is the bees will begin to grease up the bottom of the cup, then the Queen will lay in it, and the egg will hatch into a larvae and then the cell will be capped. With my bees a capped cell is usually all it takes for them to swarm... This is one of the reasons I prefer plastic frames...

correction on that. they are still there and have bounced back so well you cannot tell that they had ever lost any bees other than they are not building up as fast as other hives. my thoughts are that the issue has been hidden due to hives being fed (so lack of pollen and nectar coming in is not reducing brood laying) and especially strong hives running lots of brood, hives recover a bit before we get back. combine that with the orchard being looked after by different staff members things get missed. especially if it just looks like a slow hives which is not uncommon in turbulent spring. i hope i will get to talk to some of the orchard owners/staff, especially some that are highly regarded in the avo scene. however extraction has kicked off already and things are rather busy.

Nice.. yea I’m feelin ya brother.. this season ive stepped in with both feet and now mostly only have myself to worry about which is pretty good feeling.. just me, my girls and the bellbirds singin to me.. the forum fills the gap a bit of 15 workmates to chew the fat with.. so.. when ya finish your shift missions feel free to bang that nice wee truck on the ferry and I’ll put it to use punching mine up into spot X... 😬

No stitching at all @Otto? do you find the mixture alone sticks them together adequately? Do they curl when they are in the hive and maybe the outer layer looses mixture? It would be wonderful to loose the need to stitch..its such a mind boggling boring job. I wonder if running them thru a mangle would speed up the making and drying process....or if the drying is an important factor in their success?

I am .... rata does’nt seem to be on peoples shopping list... so why go to the expense of chasing it? I'll answer that question ..... Because it's a blast ! As you fire up those 500 horses and hit the hills with the turbo whinning with a load of a hundred million little critters on the back , and Jake the Brake growling down the other side ..... As you feel the adrenalin rise when you engage the diff lockers for the lumpy bumpy ride across the rushing torrent in the early dawn, and wind the strops in the quiet of the bush ..... you 'aint really thinking about the dollar bills you've won or lost ..... You is living in the moment. You is living the dream ....

I agree regarding winter use.. damp is no good. Also think small colonies under a box of bees are best treated once they have expanded or treated with synthetics as the small colonies can take a long time to hit that critical mass to just take off.

Is there sugar or honey in that compost bin

If i get them tested, then what? Frankly i don't think you will be able to give any further useful information. I already know what the issue is, toxicity of OA to bees. Blaming it on the bees being sick is a red herring, and one you have no evidence for, it's something somebody thought up. You won't run tests for it yourself, just ask me to run tests. As the vendor, you should be running tests. In fact, I am wasting my time here. I'll contact JohnF about getting some bees tested but the way this discussion has gone, I'm pretty certain that when the results are in, i will still get zero useful advice here. The tests are a waste of time but i'll just do it anyway. And because you seem to be taking this as a war of words, rather than an attempt on my part to get help, I'll be leaving the conversation for now, I'll come back once I have test results.

Ah yes ..... I see a shine of new nectar ! Went for a cruise in the Big MAN today over to Stoneys territory. The thermometer registered 30c ......nice.

While not zero, the usage level of most sprays has dropped dramatically nationally since the regulations changed and buying anything other than domestic quantities requires a suitable certificate - much like the Vestex system. The total imports of agri-chemicals has dropped, so the system is moving in the right direction. It is now unusual to see vast tracts of paddocks totally sprayed out for re-grassing, compared to twenty years ago.

well your in for a shock then. its been a mild spring. i would put it in the top 50%. it gets much much worse. the big thing for this season so far is how dry its been. if it doesn't turn into a wet summer we will be in for a serious drought.

I am trying to get the Council to hold off accepting any further applications for consent until this can be reviewed, so current and potential beekeepers in the towns don't have to hire lawyers or pay $2100 deposit. I am also trying to get statistics from Hamilton City Council about complaints and prosecutions for the last few years, as further evidence of the invalid justification for making the rules in the first place. One of the main reasons for the current Waipa District Plan rules was "ease of prosecution", rather than a simple Bylaw for Animal Neusance, as most other Councils have. I doubt anyone has ever been prosecuted for anything related to keeping bees in residential areas, in any Council anywhere in the country, ever. If there has, I would love to know what for. I would guess that all complaints have been handled amicably or through mediation if necessary, and resolved.

Hopefully me. I’m having another baby 😅🤣

Trucks are great places to graft because they are small spaces with highly developed climate controls however I did get tired of scraping wax off everything in the cab. This will be my first season with a dedicated grafting room and its good to have everything handy like cups, cages and all the rest of the paraphernalia. Storage for cell bars, kettle for coffee and maybe a fridge for....... milk . Even a place to hang clip boards on the walls for record keeping.